Due to running water, officials bring in crane to remove car from Verudgo Wash

January 26, 2012

A woman who drove in the Verdugo wash and stopped after…

Engineers have decided to bring in a crane to remove a Mercedes sedan that got trapped in the Verdugo Wash today after the driver reportedly mistook a concrete water channel for a freeway on-ramp.

Officials are preparing to temporarily close San Fernando Road between Doran Street and Kenilworth Avenue as they remove the car.

The driver, a 53-year-old Glendale woman, entered the wash about a mile up and reached speeds of up to 70 mph, whizzing by maintenance crews who attempted to flag her down, officials said. After barreling down several 3-foot long steps, she stopped before reaching a steep drop-off in the channel near San Fernando Road.

Crews can’t move the car backward due to the set of stairs, or forward because there is an 8-foot drop, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.Using ramps won't work because of water that is flowing down the channel.

Engineers won't have to close the train tracks that run over the channel, Lorenz said.